The conventional progressive wisdom is that the Trump Administration will be bad for cities and for transit users. But in recent decades, a unified Republican government has been better for public transit than a divided government.

An efficient and equitable transport system must be diverse to serve diverse travel demands. Planners need better tools to quantify and communicate the benefits of walking, cycling and public transit to sometimes skeptical decision makers.

Boston; Richmond, Virginia; and Pueblo and Castle Rock, Colorado topped the 10th annual list in their respective population size categories. Colorado cities were the strongest across the board of any state, which Matt Williams attributes to strong collaboration among local governments.

The recession has reshaped how cities think about information technology projects, writes Williams:

"Not so long ago, governments could justify spending on e-government if it made lives easier and more convenient, or if it allowed a new service that was previously impossible. Now it's not so simple, thanks to the struggling economy. Today, showing that a project delivers 'hard-dollar' returns has become more important."

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